Day 375: Sibu

Apr 13 - Today discover that Sibu is as much about swans as Kuching was about cats.

Next to this was a display of stone zodiac animals.

The Sibu Gateway.

Typical building architecture in Sarawak.

The omnipresent image of Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg, the current premier of Sarawak. As of 2022, Sarawak’s highest political office is of ‘premier’. This is considered higher than a ‘chief minister’, which is what the other states of Malaysia have. The idea was to show that Sarawak has a slightly higher degree of autonomy.

Pass through the Sibu Central Market. This is the largest indoor market in Malaysia. When we go inside, an old man proclaims to me that it is also the largest indoor market in Southeast Asia. However, I don’t see evidence of that.

The architecturally interesting Sibu Central Market Building. Constructed in 1996.

Nicely organized stalls of food.

Lots of calamari.

Dried fish.

Another swan, this one in the Rajang River.

Along the river is the Sibu Eng Ann Teng Tua Pek Kong Temple, a seven story Taoist pagoda dating back to the 1850’s.

Sibu Eng Ann Teng Tua Pek Kong Temple.

Jos sticks outside the temple.

Offering candles in pineapple-themed cups.

We are offered the key, for free, to access all seven floors of the pagoda.

The Tua Pek Kong statue, originally brought from China, which survived the bombings of WWII.

The Rajang River from the top of the pagoda.

In the pagoda garden.

Parkson Wisma Sanyan. This is the most notable building in town, visible from everywhere. The base five floors house a mall.

It gives the appearance of an upscale mall, but upon closer inspection, the stores are mostly small knick-knacks and stuff you would find in any market. One place has hundred of used desktop computer drives stacked up outside. The place has a certain charm, pretending to be for the rich and famous but its not. We eat sushi here.

Last swan statue of the day.

Malaysia (Sarawak)